The thermolysis of a-chloroalkyl ethers, even those which are capable of@-hydrogen elimination, is found to give in aprotic solvent media only aldehyde and alkyl halide products, in contradistinction to the gas phase thermolysis process which is reported to yield only the products of HC1 elimination. A series of para-substituted a-chlorobenzyl methyl ethers exhibit reaction rates which are correlated by Hammett cr+ relationships, ...
